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IN present day cricket all-rounders are a rarity. There are not many around, like it was in the eighties when charismatic figures like Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Richard Hadlee ruled. In the modern day game not many qualify to be in the same league.

But South Africa’s Jacques Kallis is unquestionably an exception. At 37 he still wields tremendous influence, whether in the middle as the backbone of his country’s batting line-up or when bowling at a brisk pace or standing in the slip cordon where he is ranked as one of the best in business.

His 13,128 runs at Test level in 162 matches which also includes 44 hundreds and his 288 wickets coupled with his impressive ODI record of 11,498 runs and 270 wickets makes him unarguably a unique individual in world of cricket.

His reading of the game and his opinion about people and players involved with this game carries a lot of weight and makes big news. In a recent interview on TV channel Supersports of South Africa, when Kallis was asked to rate the best opening fast bowler he ever faced, he replied: “In my opinion Wasim Akram of Pakistan was the best pace bowler that I ever faced. Being able to swing the ball both ways with pace made him the most dangerous bowler and combined with Waqar Younis’ reverse swinging yorkers bowled with as much venom, it was a daunting task to play them. Wasim and Waqar in tandem were the best.”

The Kallis comments were disclosed to me by Dr Aaron Ali Bacher, the former South African Test captain and a legendary cricket administrator of the game who had tirelessly campaigned during his country’s isolation from the game for 21 years to bring back South Africa to international cricket.

Bacher was the last South African captain to achieve a whitewash in a Test series when his team that included Mike Proctor, Eddie Barlow, Graeme Pollock, Peter Pollock and Barry Richards inflicted a 4-0 defeat on Australia at home in the 1969-70 series before being sent into isolation for their government’s policies of apartheid.

Bacher later became the head of United Cricket Board of South Africa and the Managing Director of the 2003 ICC World Cup and was rewarded for his efforts and services to the game by the then South African President, Dr Nelson Mandela.

As the Chairman of ‘Right to Care’ charity for Aids sufferers, Dr Bacher now spares time to interview sports dignitaries on the sports channel.

In a television programme titled ‘In Conversation’, he has in the recent past interviewed Sachin Tendulkar, Mark Boucher and Kallis and also the Paralympian Oscar Pestorius who is now facing trial for the alleged murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. I was with Dr Bacher and his wife Shira last Tuesday in Fordsburg area of Johannesburg where we tasted a number of Pakistani dishes. Settling down after dinner, he talked at length about cricket and cricketers and on various subjects and it was in the course of this conversation that he disclosed about Kallis interview and his verdict on fast bowlers.

“I had asked Kallis about the best fast bowlers that he faced and named Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Wasim and Waqar,” recalled Bacher.

“Kallis did not take a second to respond to my question and named Wasim Akram as the best and Waqar his opening partner as a very good bowler,” said Bacher. “It did not surprise me, Kallis certainly was spot on because the Ws pair was so good and fascinating to watch.”

Wasim’s 414 wickets in Tests and 502 in ODIs are a testament to his brilliance as a bowler and also as an all-rounder of substance. Same goes for Waqar whose 375 victims in Tests and over 400 wickets in ODIs tell the same story.

Shane Warne, according to Kallis, was the best spinner that he played against, said Bacher. “Warne was unbelievable, not because of his accuracy but the near perfect art he made of leg-spinning,” Kallis had admitted.

And the best batsman Kallis bowled against was the Trinidadian genius Brian Lara whom he would rate a tad above Sachin tendulkar because of his ability to manipulate the field.

When asked about Sir Garfield Sobers, he did not believe though that he is as good as him. He was being modest alright but it is also a fact that none can deny the colossus Sobers really was.

Kallis’ only wish now is to win the World Cup for South Africa. At 37 he still hopes to be there when 2015 ICC World Cup is held Down Under. He was part of two matches in the Test whitewash of Pakistan before pulling out from the third and final Test because of injury and will not be taking part in the ODIs against Pakistan which starts on Sunday at Bloemfontein.

But one thing is for sure, if he carries on with the same zest and form Kallis would obviously be the top choice for South Africa in the next World Cup.

On DawnNews

Comments (7) Closed

Syed.M.Salman

Mar 10, 2013 08:21am

Whenever its about cricket, its about Mr. Akram. Albeit, one way or the other but he really is the one whose being labelled as the best in the business and some use to cite him as the 'SULTAN OF SWING'. Nonetheless, South Africa's J.Kallis - a legendary all-rounder undoubtedly is the contemporary best and one of my best all-rounders has revealed about his experience.He is a star and got a robust cricketing profile. His compliments merely unfolds his inner beauty.

Hats off to Jacques Kallis for telling the truth and by complimenting Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus as the best fast bowlers he ever faced in cricket. He is by far, not only the best all-rounder that South African cricket has ever produced but also an automatic choice for the 'distinguished club' membership consisting of top all-rounders that the world of cricket has ever produced. His choice of Shane Warne as the best spinner he ever faced and Brian Lara as the best batsman he ever bowled to is also quite interesting.
However, at the ripe age of 37, he is almost over the hill. Nevertheless, depending upon his fitness and mental strength, only Jacques Kallis can decide if he can continue playing for another two to three years and help his country win the up-coming 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia. Best of luck to him in achieving his short term as well as long term goals and objectives, both on and off-the-field.

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raj

Mar 09, 2013 12:01pm

wasim akram is the ever best cricketer entire world cricket ever watched. ...any one can come back with different identity in this world but .sachin and wasim are only once...& thats our luck to be part of the history of cricket....

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Avinash

Mar 09, 2013 01:19pm

My favorite bowler. Legend

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Shahid

Mar 09, 2013 11:26pm

A bowler who can bowl with new and old ball. Can swing it and can seam it on any surface. And can bowl equally to left handed batsmen and right handed batsmen. You can't match that.

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Yawar

Mar 10, 2013 02:47am

Wasim Akram is built for bowling fast. Some of his biggest fans were the West Indian fast bowlers I played with.